The present invention is generally directed to methods and systems for treating water and wastewater. Specifically, the present invention is directed to mobile systems for the treatment of water and wastewater by deionization.
Wastewater and water may be treated for a variety of reasons, depending on the fluid and its use. Water used in industrial applications, for example heat exchangers, cooling towers, desalination systems, cleaning systems, pipe lines, gas scrubber systems, refineries and associated equipment often contains various impurities. The impurities may combine and form precipitates due to the pH, pressure, or temperature in the system or the presence of additional ions with which they form insoluble products. Such water and wastewater may be subject to ionic pollution that may be a threat to ecological balance. Ground water and wastewater also often contain undesirable impurities.
Water may be too “hard” for certain applications due to excess calcium, magnesium and carbonate ions, which may react with phosphate, sulfate, and silicate ions and form the insoluble salts. Water and wastewater may also contain various solids such as mud, clay, iron oxides, silt, sand, and other mineral matter and microbiological debris which may accumulate as sludge deposits in a system.
One method for the treatment of water and wastewater is through a deionization and demineralization process. A common deionization process is the use of an ion exchange resin. Generally speaking, the ion exchange resin is contained in a treatment vessel through which the water or wastewater to be treated is passed. As the fluid passes through and around the ion exchange resin, ions in the fluid to be processed are exchanged with ions found in the resin, thereby removing objectionable ions from the fluid and exchanging them for less objectionable ions found in the resin. However, as ions are exchanged, the efficacy of the resin is reduced. Eventually, a steady state is reached in which no further objectionable ions in the fluid to be processed can be exchanged for the less objectionable ions found in the resin.
Ion exchange resins may be regenerated by removing the objectionable ions from the resin and replacing these with the less objectionable ions, known as regeneration. During regeneration, a substance having a high concentration of the less objectionable ions is applied to the ion exchange resin. Because this produces a new balance of concentrations between the respective ions, the ion exchange resin now exchanges the objectionable ions captured during the service cycle for the less objectionable ions applied during regeneration. As a result of this process, the ability of the ion exchange resin to remove objectionable ions from the fluid to be processed is restored.
However, the regeneration process can be relatively lengthy, and during which the treatment vessel being regenerated is off-line and is not treating water or wastewater. Accordingly, it is desirable to utilize systems and methods that permit water and wastewater treatment systems to be minimally impacted by the need to regenerate ion exchange resins.
Additionally, certain applications do not require a permanent treatment facility. Accordingly, there is a need for temporary or mobile systems. Mobile deionization systems are known in the art. Examples include the disclosures as set forth in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,379,940; 4,383,920; 4,487,959; 4,540,493; 4,556,493; 4,675,108; 4,659,460; and 4,818,411.
Such mobile systems often face the same drawbacks as larger systems inasmuch as the systems must spend time off-line in order to regenerate the ion exchange resin. Accordingly, systems and methods that permit mobile systems to be minimally impacted by the need to regenerate ion exchange resins is desirable.
Moreover, both stationary and mobile systems have the drawback of lack of flexibility in order to provide the ability to optimize the treatment system. For example, it is not well known in the art of mobile treatment systems to monitor the fluid to be treated and the resultant treated water to determine the effectiveness of the system. Certain prior art mobile systems only monitor characteristics of the water after it has been treated. This single data point makes it difficult to contour a treatment system for a particular application or for changing conditions with a single application. In general, prior art systems are not easily modified, adapted, or contoured for different applications or changing conditions. Accordingly, such measurements were not as useful.
Accordingly, there is a need for a treatment system that can measure, in or near real-time, the efficacy of the system so that required or desired modifications can be identified. Furthermore, there is a need for a mobile treatment system that can be quickly and efficiently modified, adapted, or contoured for a particular application or changing conditions. It is also desirable to utilize the ability to quickly modify and adapt treatment systems in order to require less off-line time during the regeneration of ion exchange resins used in such systems.